Mike Baker

There are conflicting reports about Khamenei's condition and role in the decision-making.

As you'll recall, we've talked about that here before on the PDB, ever since being named as the successor, the new supreme leader of Iran.

Well, there's been no sight of him.

He's been the amazing Claude Rains.

A separate report from the Times in the UK suggests he may be incapacitated and unable to directly participate.

That raises the possibility that this green light came through intermediaries or others acting on his behalf.

The truth is, nobody fully knows.

But no matter who made the decision on the Iranian side, the timing was critical.

As those negotiations were unfolding, U.S.

forces in the region were actively preparing for a large-scale bombing campaign.

Pentagon officials were making final calculations, regional allies were bracing for retaliation, and inside Iran, civilians were reportedly fleeing major cities.

Behind the scenes, the final day of talks was anything apparently but smooth.

U.S.

envoy Steve Witkoff initially rejected Iran's proposal outright, calling it a, quote, "...disaster."

What followed was a chaotic scramble, mediators passing drafts back and forth, trying to close gaps.

At the center of it all was Pakistan.

Prime Minister Shabazz Sharif's proposal for a two-week ceasefire tied to reopening the Strait of Hormuz became the framework both sides ultimately rallied around.

And it wasn't just diplomatic.

Pakistan's military leadership, including Field Marshal Asim Munir, was directly involved in pushing the deal forward.

By Tuesday afternoon, there was a growing sense that both sides were converging, but even then, there was deep uncertainty about what President Trump would do.